Lewis Hun ('10) | McNair Scholar, Biology

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona B.S. in Biology, 2010, Abilene Christian University

Lewis Hun has ambitions to one day be a researcher and a college professor. A love of science motivates him, but participation in ACU's McNair Scholars Program provided the nuts and bolts of his preparation.

Lewis is working as a graduate research assistant at the University of Arizona, after earning a degree in biology from ACU in December 2010. While at ACU, Lewis was one of multiple students who took advantage of the McNair Scholars Program and the opportunities it afforded.

Researching mosquitos

Lewis has concentrated his research both at ACU and at the University of Arizona on new strategies for controlling mosquitos and the diseases they transmit.

While an undergraduate at ACU, Lewis was able to present his work at the national level. Along the way, he developed relationships with other research-minded students and colleagues.

"The reason that I am here today is because of the support I received through the McNair Program," Lewis says. "McNair not only provided me with the experience to present my work at a national level, but also helped me achieve my goal by providing me the opportunity to receive mentorship and advice from McNair staff members."

A difficult journey

Today, Lewis is a success story and a testament to the benefits to be gained through participation in the McNair Program - but his journey has not been easy. A native Cambodian, Lewis struggled with his transition to the United States. His first-year struggles at ACU were reflected in his grades. But Lewis is persistent.

As he began to take more in-depth biology classes and enrolled in the McNair Scholars Program, he began to flourish. His once low freshman GPA, climbed to a 3.8 his senior year.

While at the University of Arizona, he has been the recipient of two graduate student travel awards from the Institute of the Environment and the Center for Insect Science.

"My undergraduate education in the competitive atmosphere at Abilene Christian University has enabled me, not to merely reiterate ideas stated by my professors but to challenge some of my scientific interests," he says. "Having succeeded in my research, employing the knowledge from different fields of biology, I feel well prepared for the further challenging studies and research in the fields of molecular genetics, as well as working toward my goal."